PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: John Obi Mikel - Nigeria skipper ends CSL season on a high

Zunis Stopilla of Zambia challenges Obi Mikel of Nigeria during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match between Nigeria and Zambia on 07 October 2017 at Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria ©Kabiru Abubakar/BackpagePix

by Graeme Jackson

Monday Nov 06, 2017. 10:00

Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel completed his first season in the Chinese Super League on a high this past weekend.

The 30-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Tianjin Teda claimed a 1-0 home win over Henan Jianye on Saturday in their final match of the 2017 season.

The victory - secured by a first-half goal from Senegal’s Mbaye Diagne - saw Tianjin finish 13th on the CSL log, two places and nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Having wrapped up his club duties, Mikel will now turn his attention to the Super Eagles, who have two high-profile matches coming up.

First Nigeria will wrap up their successful 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign a final Group B match against Algerian in Constantine on November 10.

This will be followed by a friendly against Argentina in Russia four days later, as the West African begin early preparation for next year’s global tournament.

Mikel, as Nigeria’s captain and one of coach Gernot Rohr’s most trusted players, is likely to be a central figure in both matches.